It's Only Pretend
by Just Tofu It
Summary: Troublesome high school student Ki Seung Nyang fake dates scholarship student Tal Tal to avoid her suitors. Worse comes to worse, Tal Tal's old flame suddenly returns to sabotage their "relationship". What happens when Seung Nyang and Tal Tal start to develop feelings for each other? (WRITTEN IN MODERN A/U). **WARNING mature language/content**
1. Chapter 1: Trouble

****BRIEF SUMMARY (please read)****

Taken place in modern day, alternate universe at a high school. El Temur is the feared principal, students are aged 14-18 and all characters' names are followed from Empress Ki. If you have any questions/comments, please feel free to directly PM me. Let me know if you enjoy reading this by leaving a review! Much thanks

* * *

Seung Nyang walks up to her locker. As she turns the combination code on the lock, a fist suddenly slams into the lockers beside her.

Seung Nyang rolls her eyes, as she opens her locker. She already knows whose fist it belonged to.

"Yeon Hwa, what the hell do you want from me this time?" Seung Nyang says, without looking over.

At the corner of her eye, she sees Yeon Hwa smirking mischievously.

"I heard you and Ta Hwan had a one night stand. How did that go?" Yeon Hwa asks, as she crosses her arms.

Ta Hwan was the most popular boy in Daidu Yuan Secondary High. He came from an extremely rich and powerful family, just topping over their principal, El Temur's wealth. He was often named "Prince Ta Hwan" because of handsome looks, charming personality and his popularity rate in the city. Many girls like Yeon Hwa and even El Temur's only daughter, Tanashiri were crazy about him. However, Ta Hwan only had eyes for Seung Nyang, who he continuously tries to court, much to everyone's chagrin.

Seung Nyang, who shows absolutely no interest in Ta Hwan, scoffs, as she notices Yeon Hwa's sarcasm. "Tell Tanashiri that Ta Hwan and I had a blast last night. He kissed me with passion and embraced me ever so tightly. His body was smoking hot and his voice was so deep when he said 'I love you Nyang-ya!' Oh, I wonder how badly Tanashiri wanted to have a piece of that", Seung Nyang says coolly, as she tries not to puke at the disgusting thought.

Yeon Hwa's jaw drops at Seung Nyang description, before she quickly snaps back to her senses. "Ah! You little—!" she exclaims, but she instantly shuts up when Seung Nyang turns her head.

Seung Nyang smirks, as she narrows her eyes at Yeon Hwa. She takes a step closer and Yeon Hwa begins to nervously shake. Yeon Hwa takes a cautious step backwards, as Seung Nyang leans in close to her face.

"I advise you to stop following me or I'll shove my fist up your fucking throat", Seung Nyang says threateningly. She slams her fist against the lockers, her hand only inches away from Yeon Hwa's face.

Yeon Hwa is shaking like mad, quickly nodding her head in hopes to not getting beaten up by an angry Seung Nyang.

"And tell Tanashiri that I have nothing to do with Ta Hwan. He's all hers", Seung Nyang says, before backing off and walking towards her locker.

"Y-Yes!" Yeon Hwa exclaims, before sprinting off without another word.

Seung Nyang grabs her coat and shuts her locker. She heads out of the school, making her way to the bus stop when a familiar figure blocks her path. Seung Nyang, without looking up to see who it was, sternly tells the figure to back off.

"Where do you think you're going?" the figure says in an almost threatening tone.

"Home", Seung Nyang replies.

The figure grabs Seung Nyang's chin and forces her to make eye contact with him. Seung Nyang winces and angrily looks at a glaring Dangkise, the principal's eldest son and the classic fuckboy. He had piercing dark brown eyes, messy brown hair and a strong jawline. He was wearing a red muscle tee, his tattoos encircling his stiff biceps, denim blue jeans and a pair of red Air Jordan sneakers. He smelled heavily of marijuana as he leaned in closer to Seung Nyang, who struggled to free herself from his grip.

"You wanna come over to my place? I'll treat you well", Dangkise says, before cackling at his own imagination.

"Let go of me", Seung Nyang orders.

Dangkise drops his hand on Seung Nyang's chin, but quickly wraps his arms around her body, attempting to grope her.

Seung Nyang lets out a blood-curling scream, as Dangkise covers her mouth and tries to pull her into the parking lot.

"LET GO OF ME YOU SICK BASTARD!" Seung Nyang shouts, as he drags her closer to his orange Lambourghini.

Before Dangkise can open his car door, a black Dodge Challenger pulls into the parking lot with a deafening noise and screeches as it comes to a full stop in front of them.

A well-built man, who is about 6'5ft tall steps out of the vehicle, with a cigarette in his mouth. He is wearing heavy gold chains, a thick leather jacket and ripped black jeans. His eyes are hidden by a pair of dark shades and his piercings reflected brightly against the warm sunlight. He is bulkier than Dangkise and Seung Nyang can hear the latter gulp nervously. The man lifts his finger to extract the burning cigarette from his lips, as he keeps his eye on Dangkise the whole time.

"Ah, Dangkise… I rarely ever see you leave school so late. What's been keeping you from skipping class today?" the man says.

Dangkise begins to shake, as his grip on Seung Nyang loosens instantly.

"W-Wang Yu, w-what in the hell brings you here?" Dangkise asks, trying to his best to sound calm.

For a tough guy like Dangkise, who is El Temur's eldest son and the biggest bad boy in town, he is cowering in fear from the school's most intimidating rebel, Wang Yu, the 18-year old man who was raised in the sketchy streets of Goreyeo.

Wang Yu chuckles, as his taps his cigarette.

"Well you see, your father asked me to check up on you. Seeing that you weren't home, the poor old man asked me to turn the city upside down just to hunt down your loser ass. God forbid, who knew that you would be hiding here like a little mouth, trying to prey on a tiger. She's more than a match for you, pipsqueak", Wang Yu says, before he placed his cigarette back in his mouth.

Dangkise clenched his fists and grits his teeth. "Y-You…" he begins to say.

Wang Yu pats his chest, his chains cackling against one another.

"Try me, Dangkise", Wang Yu says, now with a deeper and darker tone in his voice.

Dangkise hesitates to step forward and when he decides to throw a punch, his phone begins to madly ring like an uncontrollable alarm clock. Growling in frustration, he takes out his phone and quickly answers it, as Wang Yu uses this moment to pull Seung Nyang to his side.

"Are you alright?" Wang Yu asks worriedly.

Seung Nyang nods back, before glaring at Dangkise accusingly. The two watch the principal's eldest son furiously scream into his phone and Wang Yu tries his best not to burst out laughing…because he knew that the other person on the line was Dangkise's younger brother, the jerk Talahai, who was a complete dumbass and all he did was do drugs and hook up with younger girls.

"Goddamnit fuck! I'll be there in 5 minutes! Yeah, shut the fuck up pussy ass!" Dangkise screams, before ending the call.

He takes one last glance at Seung Nyang and Wang Yu, before getting inside his car. Seung Nyang and Wang Yu watch Dangkise fire up his engine and roll out of the parking lot within seconds. In the distance, they can faintly hear the sound of police sirens chasing after Dangkise's Lambourghini.

Wang Yu looks back at Seung Nyang. "Did he hurt you?" he asks.

Seung Nyang shakes her head. "He didn't leave a scratch today. Well, he might've left a slight bruising from his grips earlier, but it's nothing", she replies, before she turns around and proceeds to walk away.

"Wait, Seung Nyang!" Wang Yu calls out.

Seung Nyang turns around to face Wang Yu.

"I'll drive you home", Wang Yu says.

"Okay", Seung Nyang replies back.

Moments later, they were on the road, driving back to Seung Nyang's apartment flat that was two miles away from their school. There was a slightly awkward tension between the two teenagers, as Seung Nyang busied herself by looking out the window, while Wang Yu shot a few worried glances at her here and there. Wang Yu attempted to ask Seung Nyang about her day a couple of times, but kept his mouth shut, worried that it would make things even more awkward between them. It almost seemed as if an hour passed when they finally reached the entrance of Seung Nyang's apartment. Wang Yu quickly got out of the car to open the door for Seung Nyang, but she was already out within seconds.

"Thanks for the lift", Seung Nyang says with an awkward half-smile.

Wang Yu smiled. "No problem", he replies.

Seung Nyang waves goodbye, before she turns around and leaves.

"Wait, Seung Nyang!" Wang Yu calls again.

Once again, Seung Nyang turns around.

Wang Yu tries to find his words. "U-Um, if Dangkise ever bothers you again, don't hesitate to let me know. I came here out of instinct today, I never thought I'd run into-" he says, but Seung Nyang interrupts him.

"Thanks for your help, Wang Yu, but I just want to let you know that we will be nothing more than just friends", Seung Nyang says.

The words hit Wang Yu as if someone punched him in the stomach. Normally he'd feel grateful when someone appreciates his help, but this time, he couldn't extinguish the pain he felt in his sinking heart. However, he pulls his best smile and shrugs off Seung Nyang's comment.

"I'll see you then", Wang Yu says.

Seung Nyang turns around and walks into her apartment, leaving a disheartened Wang Yu slouching against his car, feeling defeated.

* * *

Seung Nyang turns her key and unlocks the door to her apartment flat. She is greeted by her roommate and best friend, Hongdan.

"I didn't see you after school today. May I ask if something happened?" Hongdan asks politely.

Seung Nyang admired Hongdan. She was the one who remained as her best friend from the beginning of high school to senior year. Hongdan was a very kind, caring and sweet person, almost acting like a motherly figure to her. They both attended the same high school and would usually take the bus home together. She was a petite 17-year old with a round face, a sweet tooth and a bubbly personality. Her favorite things to do was studying and doing typical household chores. She was basically the opposite of Seung Nyang, but they both get along very well.

"Dangkise was up to his tricks again. Wang Yu scared him off and drove me home", Seung Nyang explains.

Hongdan frowned. "That nasty pervert never leaves you alone, doesn't he?" she remarks, as she sits down on the couch.

Seung Nyang scoffs. "He's a filthy piece of shit who goes to extreme measures just to get laid. Hell, he even tried to grope me in public and Wang Yu nearly ran him over", she says.

Hongdan bursts out laughing, as Seung Nyang places her bag on the kitchen table. The latter begins to search her backpack pockets for her phone, when she suddenly realizes it wasn't there. She proceeds to search her coat pockets, her pants and then her backpack again.

"I'm making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. Do you want anything else on it?" Hongdan asks, as she turns on the TV.

Seung Nyang doesn't quite hear her best friend, as she is too busy searching for her phone. She dumps her books all over the kitchen table and flips open the textbook pages to check if her phone is hiding inside.

Hongdan walks into the kitchen after hearing all the commotion and asks Seung Nyang if she's okay.

"I think I left my phone at school. I'm gonna go back and get it", Seung Nyang says.

"Wait but, school's closed already. You'll get in trouble for sneaking in…why don't we wait until tomorrow morning?" Hongdan replies.

Seung Nyang shakes her head. "My phone has all my private information and if that's erased, I'm screwed for life", she says, before throwing her coat back on. She grabs her bus pass, keys and boots before opening the apartment door.

Hongdan watches her best friend with a worried look. "What time will you be back?" she asks.

"Probably after 7:00pm. I'll be fine", Seung Nyang answers, as she checks the time on her watch. It's 5:45pm, which means if she takes the bus it'll take approximately 10 minutes to get to school and she'll have an hour to search around the entire building before catching the last bus at 7:00pm.

"By the way, can you put some chicken in my spaghetti? And make the sauce extra spicy for me please", Seung Nyang says to Hongdan, before shutting the door.


	2. Chapter 2: Breaking Into School

In this story, I will be addressing two different characters with similar names. From the Empress Ki K-Drama, there was Grand Councillor/Prime Minister/Regent _**Bayan (or Baek Ahn)**_ and his niece, **_Bayan Khutugh_**. To avoid confusion, **I'll refer the Grand Councillor to "** **Bayan** **", while his niece will be nicknamed "** **Hudu** **"** (historically she was named " _Bayan Qudu_ "). **In this chapter, I am introducing Bayan/Baek Ahn.**

* * *

Sneaking into school was easy for Tal Tal, as he was an expert at picking locks and getting past school security cameras without detection. He was quiet, steady and calm…and he never failed to walk in without a plan. Armed with leather gloves, a pitch black outfit, a face mask, a couple of paper clips and a flashlight, Tal Tal was ready to break into any classroom in Daidu Yuan Secondary High.

It was one of those typical nights where he had to run an errand, or a mission and he had to travel into the deepest, darkest hallway of his school to find…his best friend's math textbook. And of course, his idiot best friend decided to come along with him.

"YAHOOOOOOO!" Bayan shouts across the hallway.

Tal Tal facepalms, as he hears his best friend stomp and sprint across the hallway.

Tal Tal was a 17-year old senior student, who had received multiple scholarships from countless universities. He was intelligent, polite, mature and respectful towards others. He was also the Vice President of the Student Council and he worked as a part-time tutor for kids that struggled in math and sciences.

However, his best friend, Bayan, was the complete opposite. Bayan was an overconfident, obnoxious, loud and tough 18-year old student, who was in the school's Senior Basketball Team. He spends a majority of his time working out, rather than studying for important tests. However, he works hard as a part time bartender to earn himself an apartment flat, whom he shares with Tal Tal and he also owns a used, grey RAM 1500 pickup truck.

"Tal Tal, can you believe it? We're breaking into the school! You and me, I can't imagine this ever happening. This is SO cool!" Bayan exclaims excitedly.

Tal Tal grabs Bayan's hand and crouches behind a corner.

"Can you keep it down? We're here to get your stupid math textbook, not to host a concert!" Tal Tal whispers.

"Tal Tal, I can't hear you behind that face mask", Bayan says.

Tal Tal pushes his face mask below his chin and then proceeds to repeat himself. "Just stay as quiet as possible and leave the lock picking to me. Once we get your math textbook, we're outta here", he says.

Bayan nods and they both get up, both peeking their heads into the hallway.

"Remember, our main objective is your math textbook. Keep it cool and stay quiet", Tal Tal says, before he pulls up his face mask.

"Gotcha", Bayan responds.

They both speed across the hallway and check for Bayan's classroom number. It took them about six times to find the correct room and finally, they reach the last one in the hallway. Swiftly, Tal Tal unlocks a classroom door without struggle and the two friends make their way inside to search for Bayan's textbook. Tal Tal flicks on his flashlight and hands it over to Bayan, who begins to rummage through classroom bookshelves. Tal Tal stands near the door to keep an eye out for any security guards, A.K.A. El Temur's minions.

"I swear my math teacher is such a pig. He puts all the girls with big boobs in the front seat and passes every single one of them, while he makes all the guys do the hard assignments and grades us only 60% when we try to ask him a question about the unit", Bayan complains quietly, as he flips through the pages of a quadratics textbook.

"I told you to transfer to another class at the beginning of the school year, but you didn't listen to me. You knew how much of a sluggish moron he was before you even entered his class", Tal Tal replies.

"I know, but I didn't think he was THIS retarded", Bayan says.

As Bayan continues to search for his textbook, Tal Tal hears a faint noise coming from the end of the hallway. He sticks his head out slightly to see a small dark figure emerging from the staircase doors. He can hear the heavy panting of the person and without a second to spare, Tal Tal shuts the door as quietly as possible. He calls Bayan and tells him to shut off his flashlight because there is a person searching through the school premises. Bayan nods and as they both search for a hiding place, Bayan knocks over a stack of math textbooks.

" _Shit_ ", they both curse and quickly put the math textbooks back where they belonged.

Tal Tal can hear the footsteps coming closer and he instantly shoves Bayan into a corner, while he takes cover behind a bookshelf.

In less than a second, a person opens the unlocked door to the math classroom and steps inside, quietly shutting the door behind them.

" _Goddamnit, I forgot to lock the door…_ " Tal Tal says in his head. He peeks through the shelf to see…a young teenage girl? He couldn't make out the features in the dark, but he can hear her gasping for air and locking the door. Then, Tal Tal hears heavy footsteps sprinting across the hallway and a bunch of men's voices. They tried the door to the math classroom, but it was locked and some of the men cursed.

"She couldn't have gone too far. Search the school bathrooms. Men, women, all of them!" an angry voice commanded. _It was Dangkise._

"What in the shitty hell is he doing here?" Bayan asks quietly, as he peeks from behind the corner.

Tal Tal tells Bayan to hush and they both duck their heads when Tal Tal notices Dangkise walking towards the entrance of the classroom.

From outside, Dangkise peeks through the window, but he couldn't make out any figures inside the classroom. Huffing in frustration, he walks off and continues to search the school.

Once the footsteps cannot be heard, Tal Tal and Bayan cautiously step out of their hiding places. Out of instinct, Bayan turns on his flashlight and shines it towards the other figure in the room with them. The figure looks at them with a shocked face, causing Tal Tal and Bayan to widen their eyes.

"Seung Nyang?" the two whisper in confusion, as Bayan lowers his flashlight.

Tal Tal had to readjust his vision a couple of times, as he found himself staring at a beautiful girl with silky, chestnut brown hair and fair skin. Her lips were coloured with a tint of red and her smoky eye makeup brought out the hazel colour in her eyes. She was wearing a dark red sweater with sleeves rolled up, tight black jeans and brown boots. Her silver watch and pearl white earrings glistened in the dim flashlight. It was hard for Tal Tal to take his eyes off her, but he quickly snapped out his senses when Seung Nyang spoke.

"Are you two here under Dangkise's order?" Seung Nyang asks.

"Pffffffttt! I'd rather get my ass beaten by my own mother rather than work for Dangkise", Bayan says.

Tal Tal nudges Bayan, as he proceeds to ask what Seung Nyang was doing here.

"I lost my phone at school and I'm pretty sure I left it in my last period class", Seung Nyang answers.

"What do you have last period?" Tal Tal asks.

"Math or Advanced Functions if that's how you'd like to call it. I think the room number is 229. Can you guys help me?" Seung Nyang says.

"Sure, not a problem", Tal Tal responds, as he extends his hand to Seung Nyang.

Seung Nyang takes it and they both stand up. Tal Tal kept his eyes locked onto Seung Nyang, as a whiff of her sweet floral perfume brushes against his nose. He almost lost his balance, as he subconsciously leans into Seung Nyang's face. Their lips almost touch and Tal Tal's eyes widen when he realizes how close he was to kissing her. He quickly drops his hand and readjusts himself, clearing his throat in the process.

"Ahem, it's kinda hard to see in the dark", Tal Tal says, as a flush of redness appeared on his cheeks.

Seung Nyang chuckles, as Tal Tal looks away in embarrassment.

"By the way, what are you guys doing here?" Seung Nyang asks.

"I lost my math textbook. Tal Tal's helping me find it", Bayan answers.

"Ohhhh… I'm good with finding things, maybe I can help you guys find Bayan's math textbook. But can you guys promise me you'll find my phone?" Seung Nyang says.

"A man always keeps his promises", Bayan responds.

"Yeah not when it comes to keeping his mouth shut", Tal Tal adds in, finally turning back to the group.

"Hey!" Bayan exclaims, before Tal Tal and Seung Nyang both cover his mouth, to not alert any unnecessary attention.


	3. Chapter 3: The Sons of El Temur

After what seemed like hours of non-stop searching and sneaking around, Seung Nyang finally finds her phone, with the help of Tal Tal and Bayan. She quickly checks her phone for any missing content and thankfully, there was none.

"Let's get outta here", Tal Tal says.

Bayan and Seung Nyang nod at him, as they proceed to locate their nearest exit. At the corner of Seung Nyang's eyes, she notices a bright yellow light at one of the windows and she calls Tal Tal and Bayan over.

The three walk over to the window and then peer through the glass, making sure they wouldn't be seen from outside. They were shocked to see their school principal, El Temur, his sons, Dangkise and Talahai walking towards a row of cars with a group of men in black suits surrounding the grounds. Tal Tal and Bayan proceed to explain the people in El Temur's family.

"El Temur is the feared principal of Daidu Yuan Secondary High, who has a death glare that can make any teacher or student squirm in their seats. Surrounded by armed bodyguards and self-taught in martial arts, this man, who's in his late 50s, is definitely someone not to be messed with. He's a wealthy middle-aged man, who rules the school like a dictator and his iron fist never fails to scare the students of Daidu Yuan. Anyone who refused to obey him was either expelled or they had to face the wrath of his family. Bayan and I used to look up to him when we were freshman, but the old man began to scheme and become greedy", Tal Tal says.

"His son and future heir, Dangkise was raised to be violent, competitive and disrespectful to anyone who stood in his way. He'll often beat up freshman kids and spend his time drag racing instead of going to class. Dangkise is also a complete pervert, of course, but he was no match for younger brother, Talahai", Bayan continues.

"Talahai is El Temur's second son and he's a drug addict, who would literally get high off of anything within his unlimited supply. He's been arrested countless times and put on trial for drunk-driving, sexual assault and sexual harassment. There were cases of many girls, aged from 14-20, who have accused him of improper behaviour in public. Some say it's hard to tell if Dangkise or Talahai is the worst son" Tal Tal says.

"Jheez…can you imagine that Dangkise and Talahai still get laid?" Seung Nyang replies, as she pinches her nose in disgust.

"It's not that I'm surprised about…it's that they get scoot free from their crimes because El Temur is friends with the Police Superintendent", Tal Tal says.

Seung Nyang, Tal Tal and Bayan continue to watch closely, as a man in a black suit opens the door to a black Rolls Royce. El Temur enters and as he sits down, Dangkise walks towards his father.

"Father, I swear I saw someone break into the school. We need to search for them!" Dangkise says.

El Temur places his hands on his knees. "Dangkise, you're being overcautious. If any exit doors open, the security alarms will ring. Did you forget that we have security cameras installed as well?" he replies.

Dangkise begins to protest, but El Temur hushes him.

"Wang Yu informed me that you were loitering in the school's parking lot today. If that isn't a crime, then explain how you came up with imaginary person breaking into our school", El Temur says sternly, as he glances at his eldest son.

Dangkise gulps and looks down in shame.

"I'm tired, let's go home", El Temur says, before the man in the black suit shuts the vehicle door.

Talahai walks up to Dangkise and places his arm on Dangkise's shoulder. "Bro, let's escort Father home. Don't think too much about the school", he says.

Talahai then heads to the car in front of the Rolls Royce, which was a blue Maserati. He gets in and then begins the drive, as the Rolls Royce proceeds and is followed by a couple of black sedans.

Dangkise looks back at the school and huffs in frustration, before getting into his Lamborghini and driving after the escort party.

"Guess the party's over", Seung Nyang points out.

Tal Tal and Bayan chuckle, as the trio make their way out of the school. They found an alternate exit that wasn't connected to the school's security system and they quickly got out, not leaving a single hint of evidence that they broke in. As they hopped over the fence and began walking towards a local park, Seung Nyang thanked Tal Tal and Bayan for helping her find her phone.

"No problem. Would you like us to drive you home?" Tal Tal asks politely.

Seung Nyang shakes her head. "It's alright, I'll just take the bus", she replies.

"We don't bite, Seung Nyang. And I don't charge for lifts, unless you live outside of the city", Bayan says.

They come to another parking lot and under the dim streetlight, they can see Bayan's pickup truck parked in the distance.

"We'll drive you home. It's not safe to walk home alone at night. You can trust us", Tal Tal says, reassuring a slightly worried Seung Nyang.

"Alright, as long as you don't try to kidnap me", Seung Nyang says, agreeing to their offer.

Tal Tal and Bayan both burst into laughter. "Wang Yu told me the story about you and Dangkise today. I almost shat my pants!" Bayan exclaims, as he continues to laugh his head off.

Bayan unlocked his truck and climbed into the driver's seat, while Tal Tal opened the backdoor for Seung Nyang. The latter hops in and Tal Tal shuts the door, before heading over the passenger seat. Bayan starts his engine and he begins to drive out of the parking lot.

"Hey Seung Nyang, where do you live?" Bayan asks, as he makes a left turn in an intersection.

"Just down Chamber Street in a small apartment", Seung Nyang answers, as she receives a message from Dangkise.

"I don't know where that is. Tal Tal, can you be my human GPS?" Bayan asks.

Tal Tal facepalms, as he gives his best friend the directions to Seung Nyang's residence. He can hear Seung Nyang grumbling in the backseat, as she taps her phone like a madman. He held the urge to chuckle, as he rests his head against the seat.

As they came to a stop at a red light, Seung Nyang, Tal Tal and Bayan all scream at the sound of Seung Nyang's phone ringing at full volume.

 _RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGG!_

"Jesus Christ! Dangkise just WON'T stop bothering me!" Seung Nyang shouts, as she struggles to turn off her phone. She looks up to see Tal Tal and Bayan looking pretty shaken up in their seats.

"Oh… I'm sorry, haha. Had to decline a booty call", Seung Nyang says cheekily.

"What is Dangkise up to now?" Tal Tal asks.

Seung Nyang shrugs. "He keeps on asking if I was at school earlier. He said if I was, I can sit my ass tight in the principal's office and he'll come and give me a 'lesson'", she answers.

Tal Tal and Bayan almost puke at the sound of Seung Nyang's response.

"Getting in trouble and still trying to get laid? That boy seriously has got some issues", Bayan says.

"Have you tried blocking his number?" Tal Tal asks.

"Hell yeah, he just changes his number every month just to bother me", Seung Nyang replies.

"Good grieves…" Tal Tal says, sighing in frustration. "If he ever bothers you at school, just come to us. Bayan and I will give him a good 'lesson'", he continues.

"You have the balls to face El Temur's wrath?" Seung Nyang asks with widened eyes.

Tal Tal and Bayan both laugh. "Not really, but Tal Tal would do anything for a girl…and then drag me right into it. Right, Tal Tal?" Bayan says happily.

"Shut up Bayan! I wouldn't be here if you didn't lose your goddamn textbook!" Tal Tal shouts, trying to change the conversation topic.

Seung Nyang and Bayan laugh at a red-faced Tal Tal, as they continue to make jokes about him.

* * *

They reach Seung Nyang's apartment (after Bayan gets lost a couple of times) and Bayan parks his truck on the side. Tal Tal gets off to open the back door and help Seung Nyang out the vehicle.

"Thanks for the lift…and for finding my phone", Seung Nyang says to Tal Tal.

Tal Tal smiles, as he subconsciously strokes Seung Nyang's hand with his thumb. Her skin was delicate and soft, strands of dark hair framed her sweetheart-shaped and her lips were curved into a small smile. Tal Tal was able to admire her under the streetlight and oh boy, she was gorgeous, even in the darkest hour of the day. Before his obnoxious thoughts could take over his body, Seung Nyang awkwardly pulls her hand away from his and takes a few steps back.

"I have to go. Tell Bayan to drive safely", Seung Nyang says.

Tal Tal shakes his head and clears his throat. "Alright, I'll see you then", he says, trying not to sound awkward.

Seung Nyang turns around and leaves, as Tal Tal watches her enter through the apartment gates. There was something about her that Tal Tal couldn't stop thinking about… Whether it was her looks or her scent, it intoxicated him…almost in a bad way, but in a good way that didn't fail to stop him from smiling that night.

As Tal Tal headed back to Bayan's truck, Bayan hopped out with a cellphone in his hand.

"I found this in the backseat. I think it's her phone", Bayan says.

Tal Tal looks at it and immediately facepalms, before grabbing the phone and running after Seung Nyang.

Bayan laughs as he watches his best friend, knowing that the latter is probably head over heels for this rebellious, Goryeo-raised teenager.


	4. Chapter 4: Basketball Deal

**Brief Summary: Seung Nyang lives in a 12-story apartment and there are two elevators in the building. One is being used by Seung Nyang and one is out of operation. Seung Nyang lives on the 8** **th** **floor and Tal Tal practically sprints up the staircase to catch up with her.**

 **In this chapter, I will be introducing "Yeon Bi-soo" (the Batoru girl) as "** **Yon Feisu** **". In addition, Wang Yu's personal eunuch, "Bang Shin-woo" or "Eunuch Bang" will be introduced as "Jr. Bang."**

* * *

There was frantic knocking at Seung Nyang's apartment door and Seung Nyang opened it. She was surprised to see a panting Tal Tal, who almost collapsed in front of her.

"Tal Tal, what are you doing here?" Seung Nyang asks, as she helped him stand up.

Tal Tal reached for his pocket and pulled out a phone, handing it over to Seung Nyang.

"Y-You left your phone in Bayan's truck", he responds in between his pants.

Seung Nyang takes her phone and quickly calls for Hongdan to bring her a glass of water. Moments later, Hongdan returns with a glass of water and she gasps at the sight of Tal Tal.

"Nyang-ya, you didn't tell me you were bringing your boyfriend over…" Hongdan says, as she hands the glass to Seung Nyang.

Seung Nyang ignores her, as she passes the glass to Tal Tal, who initially refuses.

"It's okay. I have to get going, I'll see you tomorrow. By the way, remember to put your phone somewhere safe if you're carrying out around", Tal Tal says. He then straightens his posture and turns around, walking towards the direction of the elevator.

"Thank you, Tal Tal", Seung Nyang says.

Tal Tal turns around and smiles at her, before turning back and disappearing around the corner.

Seung Nyang shuts the door and smiles to herself, before she is suddenly bombarded with questions from Hongdan.

"So is it true? Are you and Tal Tal dating? Did he send you home? Wait is that the reason why you left so hurriedly two hours ago?" Hongdan asks excitedly.

"No, no… Tal Tal and I aren't dating", Seung Nyang replies, as she walks over to her bedroom.

"Oh… Well, I made dinner. Your portion is in the fridge. I put grilled chicken and added some kimchi to your spaghetti", Hongdan says.

"Thanks", Seung Nyang responds, smiling.

* * *

The next day, Seung Nyang runs into Tal Tal and Bayan playing basketball outside the courtyard, not too far away from the school grounds. She catches a glimpse of Wang Yu and his gang in athletic uniforms approaching Tal Tal and Bayan. Seung Nyang smiles and walks up to the group, as everyone turns around to greet her.

Wang Yu's group consisted of many Goryeo-transferred students and altogether, they were known as the Goryeo Gang or "the GG". The ones who have been with Wang Yu since day one were Musong, Jr. Bang, Jeombak, and Jeokho, with the addition of Seung Nyang and Yon Feisu.

Musong, Jr. Bang and Jeombak had been best friends with Wang Yu since they were kids; Jeokho joined the crew during middle school when they defended him against a band of bullies and Yon Feisu is Wang Yu's current girlfriend. They all got along with Seung Nyang very well and always welcomed her warmly to their hangouts, parties, study group sessions and so on.

"Aye, Seung Nyang! How are you?" Jeombak asks.

"I'm great, how are you all doing today?" Seung Nyang replies, as she throws her arm around Jeombak to give him a bro hug.

Everyone responds with 'good' or 'great' and Seung Nyang proceeds to ask if they were up for a game of basketball.

"Wang Yu and I decided to play against each other today, each in teams of three. Hey since you're here, why not join my team and make it a 4v4?" Bayan asks.

"I'm down, let's kick some ass", Seung Nyang replies, before unzipping her jacket. She was wearing a graphic t-shirt, black tights and sneakers. She pulls her hair back into a ponytail and jogs towards basketball court. The group joined her and they all split into two groups of four, as Bayan began to dribble the basketball.

"Hey, let's make this game a little bit more fun. If our team wins, Wang Yu has to go beat up Dangkise in front of the whole school. If our team loses, one of you guys gets to choose who goes on a date with Seung Nyang!" Bayan says.

Seung Nyang blushes. "H-Hey! I never agreed to that!" she exclaimed.

Everyone laughed, as Jr. Bang pointed out El Temur's sons will be out of the dating pool. "Don't worry though, we won't include 'Douche-kise' and 'Talah-ass'", Jr. Bang said with a chuckle.

Seung Nyang gruffed, as she put her arms on her hips in frustration.

"Bayan, you better not lose on purpose", she said.

Bayan scoffed. "Don't be silly, Seung Nyang! I'm the best player in our school's Senior Basketball Team. You can count on me", he said, as he winked at Tal Tal.

Tal Tal rolled in eyes in annoyance and obviously knew his best friend was up to another dirty trick. He could only feel bad for Seung Nyang if their team was to lose.

The group spilt into two teams, with Yon Feisu keeping score:

Seung Nyang, Bayan, Tal Tal, and Jeombak; and then Wang Yu, Musong, Jr. Bang and Jeokho.

"You start", Bayan says, as he bounces the ball towards Wang Yu.

Wang Yu smirks, as everyone gets into position. He throws the ball to Musong, who runs across the court to the net. Each team member chase after him, in both defense and offense and Musong ends up scoring a point for Wang Yu's team. They cheer, as Seung Nyang gets a hold of the ball and dashes away from everyone. She passes to Bayan, who scores a half-court shot for the team. Seung Nyang's team cheers, as Wang Yu's team sighs and tries to take the lead again.

As Seung Nyang attempts to shoot into the net, she gets knocked aside by Musong, who tries to steal the ball from her. Seung Nyang cries aloud as she flails both of her arms out in an attempt to catch her own balance. Both Tal Tal and Wang Yu witness this and they run toward the falling Seung Nyang, as she almost face-plants onto the concrete ground.

Tal Tal grabs one of Seung Nyang's arms, spins her around and then pulls her into a shielding embrace. Seung Nyang crashes into Tal Tal's arms, with one arm is wrapped around Tal Tal's neck and the other arm was pressed against his tight chest. In that moment, Seung Nyang could've sworn she felt Tal Tal's stiff chest muscles and the thought of it made her blush like mad.

Their eyes lock, as a worried Tal Tal looks at a shocked Seung Nyang. Both of their cheeks heat up upon realizing how close their faces were and they both stare at each other for a while, as Tal Tal subconsciously leans in closer to Seung Nyang's face.

"Are you okay?" Tal Tal asks with a concerned voice.

Seung Nyang struggles to find an answer, as she can feel her face heating up even more upon glimpsing at the gorgeous face of the scholar student. She couldn't deny the fact that Tal Tal was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. His dark pupils glistened in the bright sunlight and reflected against her chocolate brown orbs. She admired his scarlet red cheeks against his pale flesh, sharp jawline, and chestnut brown hair flowing slightly against the breeze. It was so remarkably enchanting that it almost put her in a trance, until their friends broke up the silence.

"Oi, Seung Nyang-ya! Should I book a room for you and Tal Tal?" Jeombak exclaimed hilariously.

Musong slapped the back of Jeombak's head to signal him to shut up, while Wang Yu awkwardly drew back his extended arms (he was hoping to catch Seung Nyang, but Tal Tal beat him to it).

Tal Tal quickly looks away from Seung Nyang in embarrassment and helps her stand up. His heart was beating so fast that he almost couldn't control his own breathing, let alone his flushed red face. Seung Nyang cleared her throat and looked in the opposite direction, facing away from Tal Tal.

"Well, I guess it's decided that Tal Tal will be the one taking Seung Nyang on a date", Bayan said jokingly, before Tal Tal elbowed his best friend.

"We haven't finished the match yet, I'd still like to see Wang Yu beat up 'Douche-kise' regardless if we win or lose", Jeokho pointed out.

Everyone laughed and they resumed back to the game, with Seung Nyang and Tal Tal obviously acting a bit more awkward around each other.

Time flew by like a hurricane and soon, both teams were exhausted. They came to a score of 21-18, with Wang Yu's team taking the lead.

"WOOOOHOOOOO!" Jeombak shouted in celebration, as he chugged his water bottle down.

"Now Seung Nyang, we've all concluded that you and Tal Tal will go on a date since we lost", Bayan said aloud.

"WHAT?!" Seung Nyang and Tal Tal both exclaimed in utter shock.

Seung Nyang walked over to Bayan and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Now Bayan, please don't tell me you lost on purpose", she said.

Bayan laughed, as he looked over at Wang Yu and his crew. "Now I wouldn't want to get my big buddy in trouble. Wang Yu could beat up Dangkise any day, but we wouldn't want to get the nasty El Temur involved, right?" he replied.

Seung Nyang let go of Bayan's shirt and crossed her arms.

Jeombak then walked over and threw his arm around Seung Nyang as a way to comfort her. "Now Seung Nyang, wouldn't it be fun for you to go on a date with a nice guy? Tal Tal seems like a polite gentleman who would do anything for a girl! Come on, it's a lot more fun than getting in trouble with El Temur and his family, not the mention the police force, right Wang Yu?" he said happily.

Wang Yu cleared his throat, while the entire Goryeo gang (minus Seung Nyang) gave the facial expression that basically told Jeombak to shut up. Seung Nyang reluctantly agreed about just going on one date for the sake of her friends and Tal Tal just stayed quiet, not wanting to make the situation more embarrassing than it already is.

In an attempt to change the topic, Wang Yu made an announcement.

"Drinks on me this Friday! Bayan and Tal Tal, you two are welcome to join. It'll be at my place", Wang Yu shouts.

The group cheered excitedly, happy to hear that Wang Yu will be throwing one of his legendary parties in the outskirts of Daidu this week.


	5. Chapter 5: Goryeo District

In the outskirts of Yuan City, the rowdy Goryeo District was filled with loud music, neon lights and a busy nightlife. People of Goryeo descent were mixing drinks, smoking all kinds of weed, tobacco and nicotine, dancing in the streets with their friend groups and singing along to the blaring music that echoed from each corner store. The Goryeo District was a place where anyone could celebrate joy, grief, excitement, sorrow and express themselves openly to the public without any judgement.

It was no doubt that Wang Yu, the main ringleader of the festive area, was throwing one of his legendary parties once again on a Friday night with his crew, neighbors and whoever else that wanted to join in the crazed fun.

"So _this_ is Goryeo?" Bayan said with an unimpressed look on his face, as he drove his RAM 1500 pick-up truck through the sketchy, garbage-filled streets of the Yuan City outskirts.

"Yep, and this is where filthy rich families like Ta Hwan's and El Temur's decide to empty their trash bins", Seung Nyang replied, as she glanced at her surroundings in the backseat.

Tal Tal plugged his nose, as he caught the sickening stench of the nearby sewage. "It's got quite the smell too", he added. "By the way, did you use to live here before you moved into your current apartment?" he asked Seung Nyang.

Seung Nyang slightly nodded. "Not the worst place I've been in, but it sure does feel like I'm back at home during the time they evacuated all the Goryeo residents. The stupid government declared us as a district instead of an individual region with our own rights. Now it's become a dumpster for the people of Yuan City. Moving in with Hongdan made things slightly better, but it's always a problem when Dangkise constantly tries to ram down my door every night", she answered.

Tal Tal rolled back against his seat in slight discomfort after hearing what Seung Nyang said. He couldn't believe she used to live in such a terrible place, not to mention that her friends, Wang Yu and the Goryeo gang still reside here. It doesn't help much that she was living in a place where her obsessive high school admirer was able to freely stalk her and possibly find a way to kidnap her.

God, he wouldn't even want to imagine that. Tal Tal will save her of course, but the imagination of someone actually committing such a terrible crime in the name of so-called love was downright disturbing and utterly sickening.

Tal Tal's thoughts were distracted by Bayan, who was in his full road rage mode and cursing aloud with the windows rolled down.

"GET THE FUCK OFF THE ROAD, YOU ROTTEN PIECES OF SHIT!" Bayan screamed.

The angry basketball player was honking his horn, as he struggled to pass through a group of drunken teenagers that were walking in the middle of the road. As they passed through the intersection, Tal Tal face-palmed and proceeded to ask Bayan to lower his voice.

"You know the more you shout the more attention you will draw to other people? You'll risk getting your truck egged by passersby", Tal Tal said, as he rubbed his forehead.

"Like I fucking care… This road is worse than driving beside Dangkise in his tangerine coloured Lambo—or whatever it's called", Bayan argued.

Seung Nyang bursts into laughter. "You sure about that, Bayan? Everyone knows Dangkise drives like a maniac, whether he's on his way to destroy some fine pussy or on his way home to get his ass beat by his own father", she said.

Tal Tal and Bayan laughed, as they finally pulled into Wang Yu's driveway.

Bayan turned off the ignition, while Tal Tal quickly got out of the passenger seat to open one of the truck backdoors for Seung Nyang. As the polite gentleman he was, Tal Tal extended his arm out to Seung Nyang to help her hop down, only to watch Seung Nyang swiftly leap out of the truck and land her two feet on the grass.

She looked back at Tal Tal and shrugged, whom the latter politely chuckled and then shut the door.

Bayan joined them, as they heard shouting, laughing and music echoing through the entire household, with lights flashing from TV screens and karaoke bokeh. The driveway was piled with cars that stretched out to the neighborhood streets. As the trio made their way toward the house, they looked around to see what usually happened at big parties: people making out in their cars, smoking by the doors trying to create ring effects, teenagers passed out on the front lawn and so on.

Seung Nyang knocked the door and a not-so-surprisingly drunk Jeombak answered the door with a shot of whiskey in his hand.

"SEUNG NYANG-YA!" Jeombak shouted aloud happily in his drunken state, as he almost fell over in an attempt to give Seung Nyang a hug.

The trio laughed and invited themselves inside. They passed by even more teenagers making out, drinking, smoking and dancing to the music.

The interior of Wang Yu's house was just as big as it seemed to be on the outside, and it was lit up by lots of lights and was grand and spacious. It was neither as insanely extravagant as Ta Hwan's house nor as humble as Seung Nyang's home, but it was in just between. It was a huge house, but it felt just like home.

Seung Nyang spotted Wang Yu on the couch gaming with Jr. Bang and Jeokho and they were all drinking beers. Seung Nyang walked over to greet them and in response, Wang Yu nearly flipped the table when he stood up to say hello to her. No one could tell if Wang Yu's cheeks were flushed because of the alcohol or his particular fondness for Seung Nyang.

"I hope the drive wasn't too bad", Wang Yu said.

Seung Nyang smiled. "No, not really. Bayan was the one driving. I guess he hasn't been to Goryeo District in a long time cause he almost ran over a couple of teenage girls", she said, laughing.

Wang Yu laughed, as he watched Bayan and Tal Tal practically drag a passed out Jeombak into the living room.

"Jeombak had too much to drink, let's wrap his body in toilet paper as a way to prank him! When he wakes up, tell him he turned into a mummy", Wang Yu shouted to the duo across the room.

Seung Nyang and Wang Yu laughed, as the latter handed the former a beer. They both did cheers and then sat down on the couch to watch Jr. Bang and Jeokho aggressively fight against each other in Super Smash Bros.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Thank you so much for patiently waiting for these past two chapters. I really do appreciate it and I hope you'll continue reading the future chapters that will be posted sometime in the next while. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, comments or ideas about the story. Thank you again :)**

 **~ Just Tofu It**


	6. Chapter 6: Ex Lovers

"It's 2:30am, should we head back?" Tal Tal asked his best friend.

A red-faced, drunken Bayan snapped his head slowly toward Tal Tal's direction. He squints his eyes, and inched his face closer to the scholarship student.

"Did you know…that Ta Hwan is absolute garbage at basketball? This filthy rich boy is the fucking captain of my team! HE IS TERRIBLE!" Bayan shouted, before downing his drink.

Tal Tal looked over at the table and noticed that Bayan had a little too much to drink, due to the overwhelming amount of empty Heineken bottles scattered all over the surface.

" _Great_ ", he thought to himself. " _Now I have to drive his drunken ass home_ ", he sighed.

He ignored Bayan's continuous rants about Ta Hwan's terrible basketball skills and how the wealthy teenager only joined the basketball team because Seung Nyang loved the sport and his arch nemesis, Wang Yu, was good at it.

Tal Tal got up from the couch and began searching for Seung Nyang, whom he believed to be drinking a lot too, since this rebellious Goryeo-raised girl was terrified of nothing and had no limits.

He walks into another living room, where he found Wang Yu and his crew drinking merrily and of course, Seung Nyang, laughing and drinking with them.

Despite their drunken states, they noticed Tal Tal and quickly motioned him to come over as they poured him a shot of tequila.

"No, no, I have to drive. Bayan's drunk as—" Tal Tal began to explain, before Seung Nyang leaned against his shoulder and placed her arm on his chest.

Tal Tal's heart began to race when he was faced against an adorably flush-faced Seung Nyang, whose cheeks were red as cherries and her perfume was just as florally sweet as roses.

And not to mention, her soft cream-coloured skin was exposed through her cropped, black spaghetti-strap tank top and destroyed denim short-shorts. Her skin looked so soft and delicate that it could almost make anyone mistaken her as a gentle, heartwarming person.

She pouted at the scholarship student and god forbid, she was undeniably cute.

"Another beeeeeerrr…" she slurred, as she handed the shot glass to Tal Tal.

Tal Tal looked at the drink and then back at Seung Nyang, before taking the drink and placing it down on the table beside him.

He couldn't have another drink and he was glad that he limited himself to only a couple of beers that night, cause he had to get his two drunken friends home.

Just then, Wang Yu slid over and placed his arm over Seung Nyang, pulling her away from Tal Tal.

Wang Yu glared at Tal Tal and obviously, Tal Tal could tell the Goryeo gangster was equally just as drunk as everyone else at the party.

"Back off, she's _my_ girl", he grunted, as he leaned his head against Seung Nyang.

There was no doubt that Wang Yu had a particular affection for Seung Nyang, however Tal Tal couldn't really figure out why Wang Yu still longed for her, even though he had a girlfriend.

He peered over at Wang Yu's friends and noticed that Jr. Bang and Musong had somewhat snapped back to their senses, because their jaws slightly dropped when they witnessed Wang Yu hug Seung Nyang.

Suddenly, a loud CLASH was heard by the entry of the living room. Everyone snapped their heads, or at least tried to look in the direction of the noise, and there it happened.

It was Yon Feisu, with tears rolling down her cheeks, face fallen into a mix of anger and sadness, her fists clenched and below her was shattered glass, alcohol and broken beer bottles.

"WANG YU! I have loved you for so long and yet, you still think I'm not enough… YOU are a sick bastard!" Yon Feisu cried aloud, as everyone in the room immediately snapped back to reality and realized what just happened.

Wang Yu instantly removed his arms from Seung Nyang, causing the latter to fall back into Tal Tal's arms.

Wang Yu immediately got up, wiped his face with his arm and nearly tripped over the couch, as he walked over to his upset girlfriend.

"Babe… I'm so sorry, I had too much to drink and I just lost control for a second, please I—" he tried to explain, but he was cut off by Yon Feisu slapping him across the face.

Musong, Jr. Bang and Jeokho nearly fainted when they witnessed this happen.

Yon Feisu looked at Wang Yu in fury.

"You still love her, don't you?" she asked quietly in a broken voice.

Wang Yu stayed silent, as he closed his eyes and looked down. He tried to hold Yon Feisu's hands, but she flung them away from his grip.

"Seung Nyang was your girlfriend four years ago. She gave you up because of your drinking problems and your violent fights with Dangkise and Ta Hwan's bodyguards. You only got worse after she left and where was I? I was right here, right by your side, treating your wounds and looking after you, every day, every night and I did my best to defend you from the school principal, the police, your ex-boss and from the Yuan authorities. I did everything I could to make sure you were safe and sound. And yet, you treat me like I ain't worth shit… Where was Seung Nyang when you almost got alcohol poisoning, where was she when you got into a coma from your boxing injuries? Tell me!" Yon Feisu said.

The room went silent, even the music that blared in the background had seemed to turn down after all the commotion.

Wang Yu looked at his crying girlfriend and he reached over to wipe her tears. He held her hands, and this time, she let him.

"I'm sorry Feisu, I was wrong. Forgive me. This has nothing to do with Seung Nyang", he responded, feeling ashamed.

Yon Feisu flung her arms away from Wang Yu once again.

"You're still defending her, aren't you?" she asked with an angry tone.

Wang Yu sighed. "I'm the problem, not you, not her, not anyone. Feisu, I owe you too much. I'm sorry", he apologized.

Yon Feisu turned away and walked off. Everyone could hear her muffled cries from a distance.

Jr. Bang sucks his teeth. "Ayo, this is bad… Feisu really marched off this time. She's always been super lenient on Wang Yu, what's going to happen now?" he panicked to Musong.

Musong put down his beer and looked at Wang Yu, who was facing his back toward everyone and still standing in the entry way. Musong then turned to face Tal Tal and a still-drunken Seung Nyang.

"Tal Tal, I think it's best if you take Seung Nyang home", he said sternly, but quietly.

Tal Tal nodded, before scooping up Seung Nyang in his arms and standing up. He walked out of the room, but could barely even make it to the hallway when Wang Yu called out his name.

"Tal Tal, take care of Seung Nyang for me", he said with a broken voice. His chest felt heavy and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He broke the heart of his first woman, now the second. He couldn't screw up anymore, but he simply couldn't let go of his sentiment for his former girlfriend.

Tal Tal took a deep breath, before responding to Wang Yu. His voice went from friendly to firm and then he gave Wang Yu a warning.

"Wang Yu, I don't know much about you, but I hope from now on, you will make the right choices. Seung Nyang will be under my care from now on and you shouldn't interfere for the sake of your relationship and her safety", Tal Tal said.

He looked at Wang Yu with a serious expression on his face. He noticed how distraught and shaken up the Goryeo gangster was, but all he could do was sigh and walk away with Seung Nyang in his arms.


End file.
